Having been a Portuguese colony for a long time, Goa still has a significant influence from Portuguese culture. The Catholic community, in particular, has adopted many aspects of Portuguese culture, especially in their Christmas food traditions. Growing up in a Catholic neighborhood, I developed a keen interest in the vegetarian dishes prepared during festive times. While I have shared a few recipes before, this time I would like to share a simple yet slightly time-consuming Christmas delight called Perad, or guava cheese.
the main ingredient is guava Psidium guajava,
Ingredients: 3 good ripened Guavas
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp beetroot juice for color
1 tbsp coconut oil
I was considering using cornstarch but I omitted it.
Clean and cut guava into appropriate bits.
Steam them until the Guava skin color changes. Approximately 5 minutes.
meanwhile grate the beetroot and keep the juice aside.
After guava is steamed let it to cool.
Put the guava in a mixer/grinder jar.
Make a fine paste if the guava is a little dry add a few spoons of water. Here I have a very juicy one so I didn't use water.
strain the paste.
and discard the seeds.
Stir in the sugar
and beetroot juice
Mix thoroughly.
Start cooking the mixture on low heat, continuously stirring but carefully it's hot and can splash on your hand.
To avoid mixture sticking on the pan add 1 tbsp coconut oil.
Spread a little oil on a plate. .
Keep stirring continuously. A bigger pan is easier to work with.
I transferred the mixture over to a bigger pan and it was going faster.
Cook the mixture until it becomes a big lump. Remove from heat.
Spread it evenly on the oiled plate. keep aside to cool.
Cut into appropriate shapes and sizes. This can be made a few days in advance as it firms up over time. In the beginning it should melt nicely in your mouth but may be slightly sticky. After a few days it firms and becomes pleasantly chewy. If thr climate is warm and humidit may be best to keep it in the fridge
Something very special and delicious to enjoy on your holiday.
such as New Year's Eve.
Thank you very much
Happy holiday and a great HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025.